Enclosed By Love
by lissanyc
Summary: Joelia set between the ending of the show and the flash-forward of their family at Christmastime.


**Hi, everyone! So this is just something I've been working on since the finale aired. It's pretty much Joel and Julia in between the ending and the flash-forward. Honestly, I really wrote this because there wasn't much Joelia fanfic on here, and I wanted some more. If you enjoy reading this, please give it a review! Thanks so much!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Parenthood, otherwise it wouldn't be over. **

* * *

**Part I**

Looking back, Joel and Julia's decision to adopt Victor's little half-sister, hadn't been hard at all. Violet Sarah Graham was the newest member of the Braverman-Graham household, but so welcomed and awaited. Violet brought a sense of rejuvenation to the family, who had gone through so much in the past few years. After all, it had been nearly 11 years since a baby had lived in the house.

Zeek's passing had been difficult for the entire family, but Julia especially took it hard. She was the baby of the family, after all. He did get to meet baby Violet before he died, though.

* * *

_"Where's my granddaughter?" Zeek asked. _

_"Dad, I want you to meet Violet Sarah Graham." Julia handed her dad the baby. Tears welled up in his eyes. _

_"She's beautiful, you two." he started "Joel and Victor are going to have to go through hell with this one." _

_Joel and Julia laughed. They had both immediately felt a sense of protection for this baby, different than the normal parental protection. They didn't want to put her through what they had put Sydney and Victor through. They were going to protect her from such pain. _

_"I'm so proud of the both of you. And not just for this little one. For being strong enough to pull through. It hurt me to see two people who love each more than the ocean loves the waves look so broken. I'm just so glad everything is working out so wonderfully." Zeek said, barely audible from his tears._

_"Thank you, Zeek. I know it took too long, but we're finally back where we belong." Joel replied, looking at Julia with a smile. _

_Zeek passed away two days later._

* * *

"I'm home!" Joel exclaimed.

"Daddy!" he heard Sydney scream as she came running towards him.

"Hey bug, how was your day?" he replied as he kissed her on the head.

"It was great! Mom and I took care of the baby all day, and Victor's been at a friends house!"

"Speaking of, where is your mom?" Joel asked.

"I'm right here, just had to change a stinky diaper." Julia replied coming down the stairs with Violet.

"There's my baby! Hi honey." Joel said as he greeted his daughter and kissed his wife.

Violet cooed for her daddy and he grabbed her. It was now April, the beginning of spring. The first three months had been so tough, with Zeek's passing, Violet's adoption, and Joel and Julia's desire to fix their marriage, which they did. Spring was a symbol of new life and new hope.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

Later that night, as they were laying in bed, Joel pondered on their life.

"It's amazing." He thought out loud.

"What, babe" Julia asked.

"This. Our life. It's so amazing how everything worked out."

"What do you mean?"

"Well first off you and I. I mean when we met, you were a law student and I was just some contractors apprentice."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. I was the one who fell in love with a contractors apprentice." Julia mentioned quickly.

"I know, I know. Anyways, we were so different yet we worked so perfectly. You graduated, we got married, you passed the bar, we bought a house. All those mundane things that turned out to be so beautiful." he continued.

"Wow. You're right."

"But see that's not even the best part. It's them. I know Sydney wasn't exactly planned, but she was the best thing that could've happened to us at the time. And then all our struggles to conceive. And I hated that. I hated how that made you feel, because you were so sad. But then we got Victor. And because of him we got Violet. Look, I know we had some troubles and that I made a lot of mistakes-"

"I made mistakes too, Joel. It wasn't all you. Please remember that."

"I know, Jules. I guess what I'm trying to say is that everything happens for a reason. And everything that's ever happened to us, good or bad, is because of those three. And I wouldn't change it for the world. I love them, and you, so, so much." Joel finished nearing tears.

"You know we love you too. Joel I wouldn't-couldn't do this with anyone else."

And that night they held each other tight, as they did all other nights.

* * *

**Part II**

* * *

In early June, Joel suggested that he and Julia should go on vacation, just the two of them.

"Just me and you?" Julia asked, quizzical.

"Yes. I already arranged for Adam and Kristina to take the kids. Please, babe. Come with me to Mexico." Joel begged.

"Joel, I really, really want to, but I don't want to be away from the kids that-" she retorted.

"We'll still be able to talk to them on the phone, and it's only going to be for five days." he replied.

"Well, what about work. I mean I just went back two months ago and you've got that big project that you're leading."

"Work can deal with us being away for five days. Julia, please."

"Okay. Fine. But I get to pick where we stay." She conceded.

"Babe, I don't care where we stay. I just to spend time with you, my beautiful wife, in a beautiful location, alone." he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I love you, Joel."

"I love you, Julia."

They jetted off three days later.

* * *

When Joel and Julia got home, summer was in full swing. The kids were in activities, they were busy at work, and the Braverman family had weekly family dinners. Amber and her baby had been doing well, often having playdates with Violet, and she had even met a new guy with a young daughter of his own. Drew was still with his girlfriend and enjoying college life. Sarah and Hank were happily married, acting as grandpa and grandma, a new name of her's that Sarah still sometimes didn't want to acknowledge. Jasmine and Crosby were still in love with their family, and were planning to take a family trip to Disney World soon. Kristina and Adam were busy with their school and Nora's impending start at preschool, something that made them both so happy and so sad. Camille, was in the midst of planning her trip to France, something she knew Zeek would've wanted her to do. All in all, the family was in a good place. In late August, at one of the family dinners, Julia wasn't feeling too well.

"Hey Julia you okay? You don't look so hot." Crosby asked his younger sister.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little stomach ache." She replied.

30 seconds later she ran inside the house and threw up. Joel came to her aide and told her they could leave, and that Camille was going to take the kids for the night. When they got home, after Julia threw up again, Joel suggested that she take work off tomorrow. She complied, after an almost argument. In the morning Joel went to check on Julia before he went to work.

"Do you want me to stay home with you?" Joel asked her.

"No, that's fine. I'm sure it's just a 24 hour flu. Besides I wouldn't want to get you sick." she replied.

"Okay, well call me if you need anything. I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

"Joel, I need you to come home right away." Julia quickly said as soon as her husband picked up the phone.

"Why? What's wrong?" He asked concerned.

"Nothing, I just need you to come home right now." She replied.

"Okay, I'm on my way."

After Joel had left that morning, Julia had a strange feeling in her stomach. She didn't think she was sick. She was Julia Braverman, the invincible. She never got sick. She had had a strange feeling that she could be...pregnant. She knew it was a long shot, but she remembered feeling this way when she was pregnant with Sydney. She had called Sarah twenty minutes after Joel left, asking her to bring some pregnancy tests. Sarah arrived and Julia took all five tests, which all came out positive.

_"Oh my God! How is this possible?" Sarah exclaimed._

_"I...I don't know, but I have to tell Joel." Julia replied._

_"Yeah of course. I'll go. Let me know how he takes it?" Sarah asked._

_"Absolutely."_

Joel told his crew he was going to take the rest of the day off and quickly rushed home. When he walked in the door, he couldn't see Julia.

"Babe?" He shouted through the house.

"In our bathroom." She yelled back.

Joel walked upstairs to their bathroom and what he saw baffled him. Julia was sitting on the tub and in the sink were five pregnancy tests. Five positive pregnancy tests.

"Umm, Julia? What are those?" Joel asked incredulously.

"Pregnancy tests." Julia replied matter of factly.

"I can see that, but whose are they?"

"Mine."

"But I thought…?"

"I know, I did too. But according to those tests, I'm pregnant." Julia said almost not believing it herself.

"Well how do we know for sure?" Joel asked.

"I made a doctor's appointment for three O'clock." she replied.

"Wow."

"I know, babe. I know."

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs. Graham, it's good to see you. It's been a long time." Dr. Martin, Julia's OB/GYN, stated. "So what brings you here today."

"We think I'm pregnant." Julia said bluntly.

"Okay, well, let's run some tests."

After a pelvic exam, blood tests, and urine tests, the doctor left to go check the results. Joel and Julia waited in agony for what seemed like hours.

"Hey, sweetheart, are you okay? I haven't seen you smile in a while." Joel asked his wife.

"It's just...if I'm pregnant, what are we going to do? I mean we just adopted Violet and we're still working on us and we both just really got back into our jobs and I just-"

"Honey, whatever happens, I'm going to be here for you. If you're pregnant, we'll make it work. Okay?" He replied looking her directly in the eyes.

"Okay." she said with a deep breath.

They heard a knock on the door, and the doctor returned with their results.

"Well, , my congratulations to you. You're pregnant." The doctor told them.

Joel quickly formed tears in his eyes, as did Julia. But, before she let them fall, she remembered what she had been told years earlier.

"What about my intrauterine scarring? I thought I couldn't get pregnant." She asked the doctor.

"You're capable of getting pregnant, it's just extremely difficult. Not impossible." The doctor replied. "But, with that being said, this is going to be a difficult pregnancy. I don't want you on your feet too much. We need to keep you and this baby as healthy as possible."

"Of course, Dr., thank you." Joel thanked the woman.

"Oh my God, Joel." Julia said, finally happy.

"We're gonna have another baby!" He exclaimed as he kissed his wife.

* * *

The family had reacted well to the pregnancy. Julia immediately called Sarah and told her the good news. They told Victor and Sydney , who had been excited to have another baby in the house. Then they told Camille, who was happy, but also sad, because this was the first grandbaby Zeek wouldn't get to meet. Finally, they announced the pregnancy to the rest of the family at a dinner in late October.

"I want to say something." Joel said as he stood up.

"Go ahead, man." Crosby replied.

"Well, first off, I love you guys." Joel started. "When Julia and I got married, you guys took me in as a brother and a son and I couldn't be more grateful. You've offered Julia and I so much guidance and support, and you've all shown how much you care about us and our kids."

"And we hope you'll show this one how much you care about him or her." Julia said joining her husband who rested his hand on her stomach.

"What?!" Kristina exclaimed.

"Oh my God! Are you serious?" Jasmine asked excitedly.

"Yeah we are. We're having another baby." Julia said with tears in her eyes.

"Wow, congratulations you two. I'm so proud of you." Adam said hugging the two of them.

Julia and Joel smiled as they held each other tight.

* * *

"OWWWWWWWWW!" Julia exclaimed as another contraction hit. She had been in labor for nine hours and their baby just wasn't coming.

"Come on, honey. I know you can do it." Joel said trying to sooth his wife.

"It hurts so bad, Joel." Julia said crying into her husband's shoulder.

"I know baby, I know. But our child is going to be here soon, and all of this pain will be worth it."

"I forgot how bad this hurts, Joel."

The doctor was right when she told Julia that this was going to be a difficult pregnancy. Julia was nauseous for most of the first trimester, and ended up having to take an early maternity leave when she went on bedrest.

"Okay Julia, I need you to push again." The doctor instructed.

"Come on, sweetheart. Oh my God! I can see the head!" Joel told his wife.

A couple minutes later little tiny cries entered the room, and the doctor announced it was a boy.

"Oh my goodness." Julia said as the nurse placed her newborn son on her chest. Joel looked down on the beautiful sight in front of him, and couldn't be happier. He kissed his wife on the forehead, and his new son on the cheek.

"What's his name?" Asked one of the nurses.

"Samuel Zeek Graham." Joel replied.

Julia looked up at her husband.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

"Mom! Dad! Wake up, it's Christmas!" Sydney said as she jumped on her parents bed.

"Okay, okay we're coming, bug." Joel replied groggily.

Julia got out of bed and went to retrieve her seven month old son from his nursery. When she got downstairs her other three children, and her husband, were sorting out presents.

"Okay, Violet, this one is for you." Victor said as he handed a little box to his little sister.

"Violet!" She replied proudly, finally being able to say her own name.

After the family had opened all their presents, Julia handed Sam to her husband. She went out to the garage, where they had been keeping the kids' big present, and placed her in a giftbox. She returned to the living room with the box and told the kids there was one more present. Julia couldn't wait to see their reactions, especially Sydney's. With all the new babies and changes, Sydney had been feeling a bit neglected and had been asking for a puppy for months.

"Okay, let's open it together." Victor said.

"One, two, three!" Julia counted them down.

A puppy emerged from the box and the kids exclaimed in jubilation.

"A puppy! Mom, Dad, you got us a puppy!" Sydney said almost crying.

Joel smiled proudly at his family. Victor, Sydney, Violet, Sam, and Julia. He couldn't believe how perfect his life was. He kissed his wife on the forehead and proceeded to tell his wife he loved her.

"I love you so much, Julia."

"I love you so much, too, Joel." Julia said, giving her husband a content look. "And we love you guys, too. All of you!"

The kids and their new puppy joined their parents for a large group hug filled with love.

"Merry Christmas!" Joel said to his family.

* * *

Fin.

* * *

**Review Please! xoxo. **


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